Koi
by candelight
Summary: According to legend, if a koi can make the long and difficult journey up the Yellow River falls, it will transform into a dragon. Unfortunately, a certain Hamato Raphael may not be able to carry his koi up the falls, but he still cheers. For JoyJabbaNoid.


Koi

According to legend, if a koi can make the long and difficult journey up the Yellow River falls, divine power will transform it into a dragon. Unfortunately, a certain Hamato Raphael may not be able to carry the fish upstream, but he most certainly will wait by the water. And hope. Oneshot for JoyJabbaNoid

Know that I'm a jerk, considering: Today's supposed to be primarily a study-fest for the three tests I have next week, (Four, if you count my swim skills test) I have too many fictions that are lonely, but a friend of mine just had heart surgery, and I wanted to write her a little something. It's mostly just me ranting, but I hope you all enjoy, anyway.

Take care of yourself, Har-chan. :) *Hugs* Feel better soon.

* * *

><p>As a child, Hamato Raphael had not complained over much about the fact that he and his family had to live a dark, occasionally desperate life underneath the city streets.<p>

Perhaps _that_ was why his temper was so keen.

But regardless, the bold little turtle had known much of a life outside the sewer canals, although he occasionally got glimpses behind the pages of the few books he'd cared enough to actually finish, or images on the telly that Master Splinter often wrinkled his nose at, and called them 'impractical' or 'unrealistic.' (He said the same thing about his soaps, but that didn't stop the rat from tuning in every Tuesday night to pursue the love pentagon that was Rachel, Lisa, Rick, Thomas, and Sarah on his favorite program.) Master Splinter was the only one who was ever witness to a 'normal' household life, (Whatever the shell that meant in THIS family) so he probably knew best, as usual, although Raphael couldn't help but feel a faint flicker of longing when watching kickboxing or daredevils flying through flaming hoops on roaring motorcycles in death-defying, remarkably stupid stunts.

He pretended not to get hung over the fact that he would most likely never see a Fourth of July fireworks' ceremony in person, the way Mikey was, but there were certain things a turtle was liable to miss in such an exciting world.

Ironically enough, one of the things that he thought he truly regretted not being able to do at all was_ not _(Well, not usually) anything to do with racecars or monster trucks, or high-speed chases, or high-speed chases with racecars and/or monster trucks.

Rather, it was sitting. Raph dreamed of sitting.

…..

…

….you might think me preposterous, but please, allow me to elaborate, dear reader.

Raphael occasionally dreamt of sitting by a deep, calm, glittering body of water, which would only ripple on occasion, such as when a fish swam to surface for a tasty insect, or when a cool breath of fresh air would caress the pool's surface. On certain nature documentaries Raphael watched when he was positive none of his brothers were skulking about, storks would flutter down to the water with grave, but comical faces, suspicious, beady eyes, and, without pause, would simply scoop a wriggling fish out of the water, with the catch of the day's fins gleaming like gold and silver.

Some of the documentaries had to do with catching wild, exotic, and occasionally dangerous creatures, but only if they let the specimens go; otherwise, Raph felt his stomach turn, and he normally switched the program to something safer, like two greasy haired underdogs battling it out in some subway. Or cartoons.

But whenever Raphael was truly angry, and not even kicking the shell out of Master Splinter's stuffed dummy did much to relieve the hopeless sense of fury, he'd often find a quiet moment of respite sitting by the sewer canal, pretending that he was sitting underneath a large tree with swaying branches, with the sun twinkling through it, and making the cool water below sparkle.

Occasionally, this made whatever was fueling his resentment or anger worse. You really didn't want to touch the sewer canal water if you could help it-the Hamatos got the majority of their fresh water from the rain, although Donatello had made his first water-filtration system at eight years old.

The sewer water was just plain nasty, and more than often, filled with dead stuff. Leo had once read from a book of the popular way to dispose of goldfish, and the thought of so many dead fish made the turtle more than just a bit nauseous.

Still, a moment by the rushing water at least gave him a moment to clear his head a little. And for a moment, he could pretend that he casting out a makeshift line, and just waiting. He didn't know if he could sit still for quite so long, but he had to grudgingly admit, to have the FREEDOM of choosing to sit still by the water so long was especially appealing. Normally, when Raph had to sit still, he didn't have a choice in the matter. It was either time for ninja training, or Master Splinter had placed him a corner to 'collect himself.'

Again.

Of course, he wouldn't catch puny fish, like little minnows or something uninteresting like that. He'd catch a Japanese _koi _fish. Master Splinter often had wonderful stories about the bold, magnificent fish that swam upstream even when they didn't have to, whom were said to resemble samurai and brought good fortune, the fortune itself varying upon the color of the koi. If it was gold, you were destined to become wealthy soon, or if it was a _Tancho Goshiki,_ or a rare, five-colored koi, well….

….well, maybe he didn't remember any more symbolism after that. He just knew that he wanted to catch one-a enormous one-and bring it home for Master Splinter to see. He wanted an epic battle between turtle and fish, and, he smugly noted, turtles would invariably win out most of the time, particularly if they happened to be ninja.

That interest had sort of waned over time, the way your interest to become the sugar plum fairy might fade in a few moons, but it had never truly left, just as my wish to become the sugar plum fairy hasn't quite abated me, either.

Many years later, it came to pass that Raphael Hamato _did_ do battle with a beautiful fighting fish-a koi-although instead of dragging the fish to the bank, it simply tugged on his line, and sent him flying face first into the water.

~*0*~

"I _told_ ya we should have sent a tablet earlier. Now, she's already got one."

"Raph, I could have easily fixed up a busted one you found in the sewers. You should have looked for a broken model sooner."

"Dat wouldn't have been da same. But too late, now."

A hooded figure wearing a very baggy pair of pants and multiple pairs of gloves over his odd, misshapen fingers was murmuring quietly to another, nearly identical figure beside him, although his fellow had a violet scarf wrapped around his neck. They seemed to be arguing, and while the occasional nurse gave them a puzzled glance, she or he was too busy wheeling a cart down the hallway to take too much notice, or was too preoccupied trying to navigate their way through a sea of clipbook-wielding interns.

A pair of dark eyes flashed under the hood and ski the first figure was wearing, and the other man gave him a gentle, albeit reproving look.

"Y'know, Master Splinter doesn't even KNOW that we still have the transdimensional portal stick."

"Probably 'spects we do."

"Well, yeah," Hamato Donatello admitted, and Raph could almost hear him smile, although it was hidden by his scarf. "But at the very least, he probably wasn't expecting us to use it to visit girls. First, Leo drops off _socks_ for that weird girl who's all gaga over him, and takes Mikey along with him…and now, well, I HAD to come with you, before you did something crazy."

"Who said dat I needed ya ta come along, genius?"

Donatello huffed.

"Raph. You nearly gave a _death threat_ to the girl's physicians. They know what they're doing."

Hamato Raphael scoffed, before sending an uncertain glance at a nearby door, his expression softening.

"Dey don't know what dey're handling. _Dey gotta be gentle_, Don. It ain't just some random person-it's _Harmony_. Uh, I mean, she's okay, and I like her, but, uh, I, um-well, y'see-"

"She's a lot tougher than she looks, Raph," said Don gently, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. "And you threatening to put the doctors on their own operating tables if they don't everything 119% perfectly isn't going to help matters. The girl just needs a little time to rest, is all."

His eyes flickered to the small bag Raph had clutched in his arm.

"And you owe me for finding that store, Raph. Actually, you and Leo BOTH owe us for this one: Master Splinter's going to kill us when we get back, and then kill us again tomorrow in training. I say you're cooking tonight, and Leo's buying tomorrow."

Raph gestured to himself, looking annoyed, but also slightly amused.

"Moi? You want MY cooking? Sure ya wouldn't rather have a Chef Leo special?"

Don lightly nudged him in the arm, now laughing.

"Don't even joke about that. I'd rather not have pea soup flambé, or salmonella a la mode, or Botulism with fries on it in the distant future."

Raph snickered, but the humor vanished from his eyes as he considered the door again, looking anxious.

"I know her folks ain't around right now, Donny, but ya think dis is okay? We're just walkin' in on her."

"She's sleeping, Raph."

"Yeah, I know, but-"

"Didn't you WANT to see her?" asked Donatello, sounding bemused.

"Yeah, but-"

"Well?"

Raph rolled his eyes.

"Alright, alright, sheesh, just give me a minute," he said gruffly, adjusting the parcel he had in his gloved hands. "I appreciate yer input in gettin' her a gift, Don. Though I think she woulda appreciated a cactus just fine."

Donatello pinched the bridge of his nose, biting back a groan as Raph stomped over to Harmony's room, flung the door open, and carefully closed it shut behind him.

The room was dark, and he cursed himself for being too noisy. What was the point of being a ninja if you couldn't learn to cram it once in a while?

Raph's expression became more solemn as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, and saw a familiar brush of brown against a pillow. His eyes softened again, and he hesitantly stepped forwards again, his gait silent.

He glimpsed a notebook, a tablet, and a pencil lying nearby-he wondered if she were chronicling another story of Team FluffMuscles. Considering the way Mikey squealed like a girl when they appeared, they had to be good. He resolved to 'borrow' the laptop computer sometime.

He stopped a few feet before the girl's bed, awkward, shy, and sheepish. She was breathing peacefully and quietly, and now, while he longed to talk to her, he probably would have slapped himself upside the face for waking her up in the dead of night. He'd probably give the poor girl a heart attack.

Reaching inside of his bag, Santa Raph drew out a small, plastic bag full of water, with a brilliantly colored-jewel like fish lazily swimming about inside, and then cautiously set the fish by the girl's bedside table, along with a few canisters of fish food and a care book.

"Hope yer other beta fightin' fish don't get jealous," Raph murmured, almost inaudibly, as he left a small card beside the fish. "Don says that he wouldn't try puttin' them together in da same tank, but Donny fixed up another one fer ya as good as new. Hopefully, he'll keep ya company, at least."

After a moment's silence, Raph drew out another parcel out of his bag, chartreuse face blushing furiously.

"Hey. Um…I also…got ya dis kite. I know it's probably da last ding ya wanna see right now, and Donny said dat you'd probably slap me fer gettin' ya this, and you'd be right ta, but ya'll get better. Yer Harmony JoyJababba, and ya can do anything. Even swim upstream."

So saying, Raph tucked the koi kite next to the bed, and withdrew the very last thing out of his bag. It was a small flower, and this, he left next to the girl's pillow. With a small smile, he tiptoed out, the room silent save for Harmony's gentle breathing.


End file.
